Rating Rationale
July 22, 2020 | Mumbai
Ratnamani Metals and Tubes Limited
Ratings Reaffirmed
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.2200 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL AA/Stable/CRISIL A1+' ratings on the bank facilities of Ratnamani Metals and Tubes Limited (Ratnamani).
 
The ratings continue to reflect the company's strong business risk profile, supported by market leadership in the stainless steel tubes and pipes (SSTP) segment, diversified revenue, and a healthy financial risk profile because of low gearing and debt protection metrics. These strengths are partially offset by large working capital requirement and susceptibility to slowdown in end-user industries.
 
The nationwide lockdown declared by the Government of India to contain the spread of Covid-19 impacted the company's operations, which were closed from March 23, 2020. With easing of restrictions, Ratnamani gradually resumed operations from April 20, 2020. However, since uncertainties around the pandemic are still not over, any further disruption may affect business risk profile and will thus remain a monitorable.
 
Operating income shrank by 6% year-on-year in fiscal 2020 largely due to the lockdown impacting dispatches of inventory. However, operating margin improved by around 160 basis points because of increase in overall realisation and softer raw material cost. Revenue is expected to decline in fiscal 2021 due to muted operations in the first two months of the fiscal. Similarly, margin is expected to fall owing to fixed-cost absorption on a lower revenue base. Over the medium term, margin is expected to moderate further due to shift in product mix towards low-margin carbon steel products once the newly installed longitudinal submerged arc welded (LSAW) and the new stainless steel hot extrusion (SS) capacities are commissioned, as in SS too, part of the capacities will be for stock and sale items where margins will be lower.
  
Ratnamani's commissioning of its new SSTP and carbon steel LSAW capacities has been delayed as trial run and handover could not be achieved owing to non-availability of overseas technicians following the ban on international flights. This is now expected to start commercial production only in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, against the earlier expectation of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. The capital expenditure (capex) has been funded through a mix of internal accrual and term debt. However, financial risk profile is not impacted due to delay in commissioning.

Analytical Approach

To arrive at its ratings, CRISIL has consolidated the business and financial risk profiles of Ratnamani and its wholly owned subsidiary, Ratnamani Inc (based in the US), because of strong operational and financial linkages between them.

Please refer Annexure - List of entities consolidated, which captures the list of entities considered and their analytical treatment of consolidation.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Strong business risk profile supported by diversified revenue and market leadership in the SSTP segment: The company has a diversified product profile comprising SSTP and carbon steel pipes, which are used in various end-user industries such as power, oil and gas, chemicals, water, and refineries. The company is one of the largest players in the SSTP segment in India and has steadily enhanced stainless steel capacity to 61,500 (31,500 available and 30,000 in pipeline) tonne per annum (tpa). The company also has presence in carbon steel LSAW/helical submerged arc welded (HSAW) and electric resistance welded (ERW) pipes and has steadily enhanced its capacity to 5,10,000 tpa (3,60,000 available and 1,50,000 in pipeline). Strong technological competitiveness has led to above industry-average profitability.

* Robust financial risk profile: Ratnamani's financial risk profile is driven by healthy capital structure and robust debt protection metrics. Though the company has recently contracted term debt to partially fund the capex, gearing is expected to remain under 0.25 time.

Weaknesses
* Working capital-intensive operations: Gross current assets (GCAs) increased to 208 days as on March 31, 2020, from 160 days in the previous fiscal because of rise in inventory owing to halt in dispatches following the lockdown, and due to the company's policy to cover raw material requirement on back-to-back basis on receipt of orders. Inventory was 145 days as on March 31, 2020, much above the historical average of around 100 days. Operations are expected to remain working capital intensive going forward.

* Susceptibility to slowdown in end-user industries: Demand for steel tubes and pipes depends on end-user industries such as oil and gas, fertilisers, power, and water and irrigation. Any slowdown in these segments could weaken demand for SSTP, thereby affecting the company's operating performance. However, diversified products and non-dependence on a single end-user industry have kept this risk low in the past.
Liquidity Strong

Cash accrual is expected to be more than Rs 250 crore per annum in fiscals 2021 and 2022 against term debt obligation of Rs 34 crore in fiscal 2021 and Rs 62 crore in fiscal 2022. Fund-based limit of Rs 149 crore was utilised negligibly over the 12 months through May 2020. Capex is nearing commissioning with around Rs 100 crore of undrawn term loan sufficient to meet the remaining cash outlay. Cash and cash equivalents (including mutual fund) of around Rs 266 crore as of May 2020 provide strong liquidity buffer. Internal accrual and unutilised bank limit will be sufficient to meet incremental working capital and capex requirements over the medium term.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes Ratnamani will maintain its leadership position in the SSTP segment and benefit from its diversified revenue.

Rating Sensitivity Factors
Upward factors
* Significant increase in revenue while maintaining above-industry profitability along with stable capital structure
* Maintaining return on capital employed over 20% on a sustainable basis.

Downward factors
* Prolonged downturn in industry leading to subdued operating performance
* Debt to EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) above 1.25 time
* Weakening of liquidity due to increase in working capital requirement or any large, debt-funded capex or acquisition.

About the Company

Ratnamani, incorporated in 1983, manufactures a wide range of welded and seamless SSTP (installed capacity of 61,500 tpa [31,500 available and 30,000 in pipeline]) and carbon steel pipes (installed capacity of 5,10,000 tpa [3,60,000 available and 1,50,000 in pipeline] of LSAW, HSAW, circumferential seam submerged arc welded [CSAW], and ERW pipes). The company is promoted by Mr Prakash Sanghvi, who is its chairman and managing director. 

Key Financial Indicators
As on/for the period ended March 31 2020 2019
Revenue Rs Crore 2583 2755
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs Crore 308 253
PAT Margins % 11.9 9.2
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.15 0.04
Interest coverage Times 22.64 32.51

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments and are included (where applicable) in the Annexure -- Details of Instrument in this Rating Rationale. For more details on the CRISIL complexity levels, please visit www.crisil.com/complexity-levels.
Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)
ISIN Name of Instrument Date of Allotment Coupon Rate (%) Maturity Date Issue Size (Rs.Cr) Complexity Levels Rating Assigned with Outlook
NA Cash Credit* NA NA NA 149 NA CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Term Loan NA NA Apr-2024 150 NA CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Term Loan NA NA Dec-2026 150 NA CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Proposed Working Capital Facility NA NA NA 214 NA CRISIL AA/Stable
NA Letter of Credit & Bank Guarantee# NA NA NA 1537 NA CRISIL A1+
*Interchangeable with export packing credit/packing credit in foreign currency
#Interchangeable with buyer's credit/supplier's credit
 
Annexure - List of Entities Consolidated
Names of Entities Consolidated Extent of Consolidation Rationale for consolidation
Ratnamani Inc Full consolidation Operational and financial linkages
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2020 (History) 2019  2018  2017  Start of 2017
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  663.00  CRISIL AA/Stable      05-04-19  CRISIL AA/Stable  30-05-18  CRISIL AA/Stable  22-02-17  CRISIL AA/Stable  CRISIL AA/Stable 
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  1537.00  CRISIL A1+      05-04-19  CRISIL A1+  30-05-18  CRISIL A1+  22-02-17  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Cash Credit* 149 CRISIL AA/Stable Cash Credit* 144 CRISIL AA/Stable
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee# 1537 CRISIL A1+ Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee# 1442 CRISIL A1+
Proposed Working Capital Facility 214 CRISIL AA/Stable Proposed Working Capital Facility 314 CRISIL AA/Stable
Term Loan 300 CRISIL AA/Stable Term Loan 300 CRISIL AA/Stable
Total 2200 -- Total 2200 --
*Interchangeable with export packing credit/packing credit in foreign currency
#Interchangeable with buyer's credit/supplier's credit
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt

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